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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · last · bulb · craft · object · cell

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com